I just read this article by Paul Spiegelman, Inc. | May 19, 2011 and wanted to share:
Culture: It's a word that often makes CFOs cringe because of the perception that it's expensive. From my experience, it's far more costly to do business without it.
From the very start, my brothers and I built our company from a foundation of respecting and treating our employees well. It was the only way that we knew how to operate. Only later did we realize that it was not only the right thing to do, but also the right way to do business.
Our corporate culture has resulted in extremely low turnover and engaged employees who deliver exceptional customer service, which results in loyal customers who allow us to continue to grow our business. We re-invest those profits in our people. At Beryl, we call it The Circle of Growth. In fact, the term was coined by our CFO, who was initially skeptical, but became a convert when he realized that culture paid dividends.
Perhaps you think you are ready to transform your workplace culture, but are concerned about being able to justify costs with hard numbers. Consider this: Beryl is four to six times more profitable than our typical competitor and we attribute that to our ability to engage employees. Certainly, we are not the only company that has benefited from investing in their employees. The 2007 book Firms of Endearment found that companies focused on culture returned 1,025 percent to their investors over a 10-year period, compared to only 122 percent for the S&P 500 and 316 percent for the companies profiled in the bestselling book Good to Great.
As the U.S. lurches out of the recession, this ROI isn't as readily visible. It is challenging to be culture-focused in a sluggish economy, but arguably this is the most important time to embrace corporate culture. Cutting out culture and people as "soft" benefits eliminates your strategy to rebound. With customers under similar financial duress, it's the wrong time to allow a customer relationship to become tenuous. Passionate people, focused on customers instead of layoffs, are essential to a company's survival and success.
The Container Store provides a great illustration of how culture can actually help you succeed in tough economic times. Instead of laying off employees, The Container Store asked them to help find a solution. Employees decided that they would all take a lower salary to preserve jobs. This put the decision in employees' hands, building loyalty through an ugly situation. They weathered the recession together.
The Container Store made a big ask. Luckily, most CEOs can begin improving company culture with a smaller ask. Once you decide to turn the culture tide, and it's a sincere desire, the next step is to ask your employees how to improve life at your organization. You can do this by:
Identifying guiding values, sourced from employees and reiterated as a constant in a sea of change.
Constructing a clear mission and vision that everyone can own. Paint the big picture and discuss how workers can contribute to success.
Working together to develop processes and systems that support transparency and encourage sharing opinions and ideas, such as an open-door policy with no fear of retribution.
Identifying a leader. At Beryl, we have an executive whose title is Queen of Fun and Laughter. She is responsible for helping us to stay true to our unique culture and keep co-workers lives in balance. We also have a group of employees who volunteer as part of the Better Beryl Bureau, a committee that comprises of a cross-section of Beryl co-workers who plan events as well as provide input on policies, change management, rumors, concerns and more.
Once these systems are in place, you are ready for the fun. However, it's not just one big thing, but rather a series of many little things that matter. Between 30 and 45 seconds of your time can impact someone's life in a very significant way. Whether it's a handwritten note to congratulate an employee who just purchased his or her first home, a family field day, or a pizza party to celebrate a company milestone, it's the steady drumbeat that shows you're committed. If you're genuine, this is the beginning of a collaborative journey with employees that doesn't end.
Read more: http://www.inc.com/articles/201105/paul-spiegelman-does-corporate-culture-pay.html#ixzz1NO2jx7Rc
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Adopting Guidelines for Team Member Relationships
I recently read this article by Susan M. Heathfield and wanted to share her insights:
The members of every team and work group develop particular ways of interacting with each other over time. Effective interpersonal communication among members and successful communication with managers and employees external to the team are critical components of team functioning.
How a team makes decisions, assigns work, and holds members accountable determines team success. With the potential power of the impact of these interactions on team success, why leave team member interaction to chance? Form team relationship guidelines or team norms early to ensure team success.
What Are Team Norms or Relationship Guidelines?
Team norms are a set of rules or guidelines that a team establishes to shape the interaction of team members with each other and with employees who are external to the team. Team norms can be developed during an early team meeting. More norms can be added as the team sees the need for additional guidelines.
Once developed, team norms are used to guide team member behavior. Team norms are used to assess how well team members are interacting. Team norms enable team members to call each other out on any behavior that is dysfunctional or that is negatively impacting the success of the team.
In one of my favorite quotes, Ken Blanchard, of One Minute Manager1 fame, said that a river without banks is a pond. Likewise, a team without relationship norms leaves itself open to potential interpersonal problems.
Most team members won't intentionally harm the project or the team's success. But, the lack of an agreed upon framework for interaction creates the potential for misunderstanding and negative conflict.
Team Norm Essentials
Predictably, teams have trouble with particular components of interpersonal communication and interaction. You will want to develop norms in these areas for team success. These are the steps to follow when you create your team norms2. Additionally, here are sample team norms in several areas of the more important aspects of interpersonal and team interaction.
1. Team members as coworkers: all team members are equal; every team member's opinion will be thoughtfully considered; each team member will keep all commitments by the agreed upon due date; each team member agrees to constantly assess whether team members are honoring their commitment to the team norms.
2. Team member communication: team members will speak respectfully to each other; will not talk down to each other; will positively recognize and thank each other for team contributions.
3. Team member interaction in meetings: team members will listen without interrupting; hold no side or competing conversations3; follow the rules for effective meetings4; attend the meeting on time; always work from an agenda; minutes will be recorded at each meeting; end meetings on time.
4. Team organization and function: leadership will rotate monthly; the team management sponsor will attend the meeting, at least, monthly.
5. Team communication with other employees including managers: team members will make certain they have agreement on what and when to communicate; complaints about team members will be addressed first in the team.
6. Team problem solving, conflict resolution, and decision making: team members will make decisions by consensus, but majority will rule if timely consensus is not reached; conflicts will be resolved directly with the persons in conflict.
Team norms can encompass as many topics as the team deems necessary for successful functioning. Start with a few team norms and add more norms as needed. Make sure the team norms are written and posted where team members are reminded of their commitment.
With effective team norms in place, your team will be able to focus on its business purpose. The team was undoubtedly founded to help the company continuously improve and achieve its strategic goals. Don't let ineffective relationships and interactions sabotage the team's work.
To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://humanresources.about.com/od/teambuilding/qt/norms.htm
The members of every team and work group develop particular ways of interacting with each other over time. Effective interpersonal communication among members and successful communication with managers and employees external to the team are critical components of team functioning.
How a team makes decisions, assigns work, and holds members accountable determines team success. With the potential power of the impact of these interactions on team success, why leave team member interaction to chance? Form team relationship guidelines or team norms early to ensure team success.
What Are Team Norms or Relationship Guidelines?
Team norms are a set of rules or guidelines that a team establishes to shape the interaction of team members with each other and with employees who are external to the team. Team norms can be developed during an early team meeting. More norms can be added as the team sees the need for additional guidelines.
Once developed, team norms are used to guide team member behavior. Team norms are used to assess how well team members are interacting. Team norms enable team members to call each other out on any behavior that is dysfunctional or that is negatively impacting the success of the team.
In one of my favorite quotes, Ken Blanchard, of One Minute Manager1 fame, said that a river without banks is a pond. Likewise, a team without relationship norms leaves itself open to potential interpersonal problems.
Most team members won't intentionally harm the project or the team's success. But, the lack of an agreed upon framework for interaction creates the potential for misunderstanding and negative conflict.
Team Norm Essentials
Predictably, teams have trouble with particular components of interpersonal communication and interaction. You will want to develop norms in these areas for team success. These are the steps to follow when you create your team norms2. Additionally, here are sample team norms in several areas of the more important aspects of interpersonal and team interaction.
1. Team members as coworkers: all team members are equal; every team member's opinion will be thoughtfully considered; each team member will keep all commitments by the agreed upon due date; each team member agrees to constantly assess whether team members are honoring their commitment to the team norms.
2. Team member communication: team members will speak respectfully to each other; will not talk down to each other; will positively recognize and thank each other for team contributions.
3. Team member interaction in meetings: team members will listen without interrupting; hold no side or competing conversations3; follow the rules for effective meetings4; attend the meeting on time; always work from an agenda; minutes will be recorded at each meeting; end meetings on time.
4. Team organization and function: leadership will rotate monthly; the team management sponsor will attend the meeting, at least, monthly.
5. Team communication with other employees including managers: team members will make certain they have agreement on what and when to communicate; complaints about team members will be addressed first in the team.
6. Team problem solving, conflict resolution, and decision making: team members will make decisions by consensus, but majority will rule if timely consensus is not reached; conflicts will be resolved directly with the persons in conflict.
Team norms can encompass as many topics as the team deems necessary for successful functioning. Start with a few team norms and add more norms as needed. Make sure the team norms are written and posted where team members are reminded of their commitment.
With effective team norms in place, your team will be able to focus on its business purpose. The team was undoubtedly founded to help the company continuously improve and achieve its strategic goals. Don't let ineffective relationships and interactions sabotage the team's work.
To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://humanresources.about.com/od/teambuilding/qt/norms.htm
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Increase your Chances for Success!
Natural talent gets far too much credit. Achieving your goals is less about who you are, and more about what you do. Give yourself better odds of succeeding:
1. Be specific and focus on your plan.
Be precise about what you are trying to achieve and when you will do it. It's not enough to say you'll clean out your inbox three days a week, or I'll make those calls within the next few weeks or I'll write that proposal by the end of the month. Schedule it in your calendar and plan specific days, times and deadlines so you hold yourself accountable. Then focus on your PLAN. Make it happen! That "can-do" attitude will drive your success.
2. Need help? Share your goals with a partner, spouse, friend or your "Best Year Yet" coach. They will be sure to keep you honest and accountable to do what you said you would do.
3. Looking for an easy way to build a plan?
The Best Year Yet online program guides you through the process by asking 10 simple questions. The first is "What have I accomplished?" Thinking back over the past year, you enter everything that occurs to you in response to this question. It's so powerful and enlightening to recognize all that you have actually achieved. After answering all the questions, you will have completed a one-page plan that consists of Your guidelines, Your Vision, Your Major Focus and Your Top 10 Goals for the Year.
4. Want to track progress to your goals to ensure success?
Best Year Yet Online (BYYO) feeds directly into the PRO (Producing Results Online) tracking tool. You can breakdown your goals into monthly and even weekly goals, score them and create goals for the next month!
You can purchase all this for only $99.99. Click here to purchase and get started now! If you are interested personal or professional coaching services for you or your organization please call Donna King at 913-745-5499.
Visit CreativeCounts or Results Coaching for more information
1. Be specific and focus on your plan.
Be precise about what you are trying to achieve and when you will do it. It's not enough to say you'll clean out your inbox three days a week, or I'll make those calls within the next few weeks or I'll write that proposal by the end of the month. Schedule it in your calendar and plan specific days, times and deadlines so you hold yourself accountable. Then focus on your PLAN. Make it happen! That "can-do" attitude will drive your success.
2. Need help? Share your goals with a partner, spouse, friend or your "Best Year Yet" coach. They will be sure to keep you honest and accountable to do what you said you would do.
3. Looking for an easy way to build a plan?
The Best Year Yet online program guides you through the process by asking 10 simple questions. The first is "What have I accomplished?" Thinking back over the past year, you enter everything that occurs to you in response to this question. It's so powerful and enlightening to recognize all that you have actually achieved. After answering all the questions, you will have completed a one-page plan that consists of Your guidelines, Your Vision, Your Major Focus and Your Top 10 Goals for the Year.
4. Want to track progress to your goals to ensure success?
Best Year Yet Online (BYYO) feeds directly into the PRO (Producing Results Online) tracking tool. You can breakdown your goals into monthly and even weekly goals, score them and create goals for the next month!
You can purchase all this for only $99.99. Click here to purchase and get started now! If you are interested personal or professional coaching services for you or your organization please call Donna King at 913-745-5499.
Visit CreativeCounts or Results Coaching for more information
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)